Verhoeven says kickboxing dominance earned him WBC title shot

Rico Verhoeven has defended his WBC heavyweight title shot, saying his 12-year reign in kickboxing mirrors Oleksandr Usyk's achievements in boxing. The Dutchman pointed to the WBC's unique recognition of kickboxing when explaining his credentials.

“Like what Oleksandr did within boxing, I did within kickboxing for 12 years. Defeat everybody and some people multiple times. The WBC is also the only organisation that looks at kickboxing and Muay Thai. So for them, they recognised and gave me my credentials.”

— Rico Verhoeven, via BBC Sport

What Rico Verhoeven said

Verhoeven faces Usyk for the WBC bridgerweight title despite having no professional boxing record. The bout has drawn criticism from boxing traditionalists, but the WBC created the 123 kg division and has long acknowledged combat sports beyond boxing. Verhoeven held the Glory heavyweight title from 2013 to 2025.

What it moves

The comparison to Usyk's undisputed cruiserweight run will do little to silence critics who see the bout as a novelty. Speaking to BBC Sport, Verhoeven said the WBC is the only major sanctioning body that looks at kickboxing and Muay Thai, adding that they gave him his credentials. The title shot now hinges on whether boxing fans accept the WBC's bridgerweight experiment.

Source: bbc.com. Full Rico Verhoeven fight history and recent news at boxingnews.com.